NUTRITION: To know the facts…Most packaged foods have a Nutrition Facts label. For a healthier you, use this tool to make smart food choices quickly and easily. Try these tips:
- Keep these low: saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium.
- Get enough of these: potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron.
- Use the % Daily Value (DV) column when possible: 5% DV or less is low, 20% DV or more is high.
Check servings and calories. Look at the serving size and how many servings you are actually consuming. If you double the servings you eat, you double the calories and nutrients, including the % DVs.
Make your calories count. Look at the calories on the label and compare them with what nutrients you are also getting to decide whether the food is worth eating. When one serving of a single food item has over 400 calories per serving, it is high in calories.
Don’t sugarcoat it. Since sugars contribute calories with few, if any, nutrients, look for foods and beverages low in added sugars. Read the ingredient list and make sure that added sugars are not one of the first few ingredients. Some names for added sugars (caloric sweeteners) include sucrose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, maple syrup, and fructose.
Know your fats. Look for foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol to help reduce the risk of heart disease (5% DV or less is low, 20% DV or more is high). Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Keep total fat intake between 20% to 35% of calories.
Reduce sodium (salt), increase potassium. Research shows that eating less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium (about 1 tsp of salt) per day may reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Most of the sodium people eat comes from processed foods, not from the saltshaker. Also look for foods high in potassium, which counteracts some of sodium’s effects on blood pressure. Here are the ingredients for your lite dessert:
1 cup raisins, 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, 8 sheets phyllo dough, 1/4 cup acceptable margarine, 1/2 stick melted, 1/2 honey, 2 tsps ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, In a small bowl, mix raisins and nuts. Set aside. Lightly brush every other sheet of phyllo with melted margarine and stack the sheets on top of each other. Spread raisin nut mixture over the phyllo, leaving 1-inch border on all sides. Drizzle honey over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Roll length wise, jelly roll fashion, and place on a nonstick baking sheet, making sure thatthe ends of the roll are tucked under and the seam side faces down. Brush the top lightly with remaining margarine. Cut through the pastry to the raisin nut mixture, at about 1 1/2 inch intervals, to provide vents for the steam to escape. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Slice using vent lines as guides.
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Tags: Desserts Diet Food health low-fat dessert Low Fat low fat desserts Recipes sweets Weight-watcher Weight loss, diet, health, Lite Dessert, low fat dessert, recipes, sweets
